UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 07 APRIL 2015
Children should be taught six staple dishes at school to prepare them for student life and help tackle the obesity crisis, celebrity chef Paul Rankin urged during a tour of food outlets at Birmingham City University.
The Saturday Kitchen regular, touring the University as part of a healthy eating drive, said: "Most kids don't know how to cook anything. In my opinion the medical community is not doing enough about the obesity issue and it appears to be getting worse and worse.
Want to know more?
See the Omelette Challenge videos on our Facebook page
The renowned chef also claimed children are developing an unhealthy addiction to starch, salt and refined foods: "It's hard to know how to address this addiction in kids who were raised without an appreciation for what it is like to eat healthy and feel vibrant as a result."
Paul was on campus as part of an initiative run by Sodexo Education, which aims to educate students about nutrition and healthy living. During his visit the chef worked closely with catering staff to help prepare some of his signature nutritious meals which he served up to the audience.
Students from the University were pitted against the king of the Saturday Kitchen 'Omelette Challenge' and had a go at cracking the eggs under Paul's watchful eye. During the challenge the chef was not surprised to hear that some students had close to no cooking skills and had never made an omelette before.
Paul's observations follow recent comments by Birmingham City University nutrition expert Mel Wakeman who has urged for government intervention at school level.
"Children need better role modelling for healthy eating. If they only see potatoes as long, crispy thin strips and beans smothered in tomato sauce, how on earth can we expect children to know what 'real food' is?" said Mel Wakeman, Senior Lecturer in Applied Physiology at Birmingham City University.
"If these children are to avoid health problems such as tooth decay, iron deficiency, rickets, type-2 diabetes and heart disease later in life, something has to be done about their diet otherwise they will continue to take these bad habits into their adult life," said Mel.